The Offensive Weapons Bill tightens the law on the sale of corrosive substances and knives after a significant increase in acid attacks and stabbings.

John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “This is a much needed Bill that deserves support and we very much welcome it. We have all been appalled by the increase in assaults and deaths when acid and knives were used as offensive weapons.

“Shopworkers will play a vital role on the frontline of policing this law, as they already do on the sale of alcohol and other age-restricted products. Yet they are offered no additional protection under the law and shopworkers can be treated like criminals if a mistake is made at the point of sale.

“As the Bill is currently drafted, there are severe penalties on shopworkers who sell corrosive substances or knives to someone under 18, but there is no penalty on the individual attempting to make an illegal purchase. This is a perverse situation, with the shopworker referred to as the ‘accused’ in the Bill, but no criminality is attached to the person trying to buy a potentially offensive weapon.

“The Bill says that it is possible for a shopworker found guilty of an offence to be sent to prison. This is the first time that a custodial sentence has been attached to an under-age sales offence. That seriously increases the pressure on the shopworker, with no apparent consequences for the purchaser. Surely the balance is wrong? We want an offence of attempting to illegally buy an offensive weapon to be included in the legislation, so that the customer is equally liable for an illegal purchase.
 
“We welcome the specific offence of obstructing the police conducting a search for offensive weapons and the additional protection that provides officers. All too often in the course of their duties shopworkers are assaulted, threatened and abused, particularly when enforcing age-restricted sales laws. It is difficult to imagine that someone refused the illegal sale of an offensive weapon will just quietly go away. The reality is they are very likely to get angry and possibly violent towards the shopworker who has refused the sale. So we want to see in the Bill a specific offence for assaulting shopworker who is enforcing the law.

“It is absolutely right that we do everything possible to stem the scourge of knife crime and acid attacks. Shopworkers are on the frontline of achieving that and helping to keep our communities safe. Their role should be valued, they deserve our respect, but most of all they deserve the protection of the law.”

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with around 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.

Interim results of Usdaw’s 2017 survey, based on 1,455 responses, show that over the last 12 months: 62.34% were verbally abused (an increase of 25%), 40.49% were threatened (an increase of 38%) and 3.23% were assaulted (an increase of 25%), which equals 265 per day. 56.11% had not reported an incident of abuse and 21.79% of shopworkers physically attacked did not report the assault. 79.91% say there needs to be a change in the law to provide better protection for shopworkers.
 
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